Arts Learning Experience and Creativity in Primary Schoolchildren

The present study aimed at assessing Hong Kong primary schoolchildren’s creativity as benefits of their arts learning experience. Participants included 806 elementary students from Grade 1 to 6 with an age range from 6 to 13 and a median age of 10. Measures included the Test for Creative Thinking – Drawing Production (Urban & Jellen, 1996), the subscales of creativity, communication, and, dramatic characteristics (Renzulli, Smith, White, Callahan & Hartmann, 1976), and the subscale of motivation for arts education (Hui, Cheung, Wong & He, 2009). Participation in various forms of arts (drama, music, dance and art) was reported. Significant differences were found between the four groups of art activity participation (no participation, school-based program, out-of-school program, and both) and various art forms on the performance of creativity assessment and creativity characteristics. Post hoc comparisons revealed that students with learning experience in the arts scored significantly higher on creative performance, communication, creativity and dramatic characteristics, and motivation in arts education than those who had not participated in any art activity. Similar patterns of results were also found in the comparison of students not engaging in any art activities and those learning various art forms. Arts education has enabled students to develop their creativity as an intellectual ability and as behavorial characteristics. Engagement in arts education should be the child’s right to appreciate the greatest artistic achievements of humans and to equip the child with adequate knowledge and skills in the communication and expression of any art forms. It is also an effective form of facilitation of creativity development in school children. Implications and limitations were discussed.